April 17, 2024

The federal budget tabled yesterday makes progress towards tackling youth mental health, employment, and poverty. As Canada’s largest dedicated child and youth serving charity, BGC Canada applauds these investments and looks forward to working with government to implement them.

BGC Canada is increasingly concerned by rising inequalities among youth. Our Clubs report increased demand for food supports, amid a cost-of-living crisis. We see increased mental health struggles from the youth we work with, amidst ongoing concerns about the impact of social media use on youth mental health. Latest data from Statistics Canada suggests that the youth employment rate has been dropping steadily, meaning that youth are not getting the first jobs they need to launch their careers.

“For this budget, we called for significant investments in children and youth,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “Young people and their families continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis, and this budget will help them get by while also creating national programs that will benefit generations to come. We are excited to partner with all levels of government to expand the Canada Wide Early Learning and Childcare system, implement a national school food program, and support youth mental health and employment.”

Highlights from Budget 2024 include:

• Renewed funding for youth employment and skills development, including through Canada Summer Jobs, the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, the Student Support for Learning Program, and CanCode 
• $500M for a new youth mental health fund 
• $52M in new funding to keep youth safe online
• $1B in funding for a national school food program 
• $15M for support community sport programming
• Significant funding for new childcare spaces, and for a workforce program for the sector

About BGC Canada 

For 125 years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people and their families at more than 600 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental health, leadership, and more.  

BGC applaud the Ontario government’s regulatory amendments under the Child Care and Early Years Act that exempt certain authorized recreation providers from the three-hour rule.  

Across Ontario, BGC serve more than 135,000 children and youth at 319 locations, with both licensed Early Learning & Child Care and Authorized Recreation Programs for school-aged children. Especially in rural areas, the three-hour rule had previously limited the options available for families that needed quality, affordable, and safe before and after school care, which created considerable financial and emotional strain.

Accessibility to before and after school programs is more critical than ever as the province grapples with COVID-19 repercussions and must work to advance an equitable recovery. This new regulatory change will allow BGC to provide both before and after school programs for families in their communities, increasing the number of quality programs available and creating more choice for Ontario families that need it the most. And by allowing only select providers to offer authorized recreation programs for more than three consecutive hours, the provincial government will be able to test this approach, collect data to gauge the effect on the broader child care system, and ensure health and safety is the priority.

BGC have rigorous operating standards and best practices in Ontario and across Canada. We know that regular participation in before and after school programs mitigates the risk of unhealthy behaviours and helps young people develop into healthy, active, and engaged adults.

The changes will give more parents access to safe, high-quality, and accessible child care

[TORONTO, ON] October 2, 2020 – With authorized recreation and licenced child care programs for 135,000 children and youth at over 300 locations, Boys & Girls Clubs across Ontario welcome the proposed changes announced today to regulations associated with the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) as part of the ongoing CCEYA 5-year review.

Child care accessibility is more critical than ever, especially in rural areas, as the province grapples with COVID-19 repercussions and looks to recovery. By permitting Boys and Girls Clubs to provide authorized recreation programming for more than three hours per day for school-aged children, Clubs across Ontario will be able to accommodate children before AND after-school, giving parents across Ontario more access to safe, high-quality, and affordable child care.

“The proposed changes will support our local Clubs in providing more community-driven programs and services to support families,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. “Improving child care access, affordability, and parental choice is critical in Ontario. Our Clubs remain committed to supporting children, youth, and families and we look forward to working with the provincial government and local stakeholders to ensure the success of these planned changes.”

“As a provider of both licensed child care and authorized recreation, we welcome the opportunity to increase our services to families in our area,” says Amy Terrill, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes. “The proposed regulatory changes will create greater opportunities for parents to participate fully and confidently in the labour force, particularly in rural areas.”

By recognizing the unique needs of school-aged children, the proposed changes will support keeping older children in before- and after-school programs, which evidence has shown supports all aspects of their development and has a long-term positive impact.

About Boys and Girls Clubs of Ontario 
As Canada’s largest child- and youth-serving organization, Boys and Girls Clubs provide vital programs and services to over 200,000 young people in 775 communities across Canada. At 319 locations across Ontario, 23 Boys and Girls Clubs provide before and after school programming for more than 135,000 children and youth every year. Our trained staff help young people build the confidence and sense of belonging they need to overcome barriers and form positive relationships. By delivering evidence-based and effective programs that reflect the diversity of their communities, our Clubs provide young people the opportunity to explore their interests, develop their strengths, and realize positive outcomes in academics, physical activity, technology, self-expression, healthy living, mental health, and more.